Kidnapped
by Flying Jay
Summary: Robin is missing, but when Batman gets a call from him a few weeks later its anything but good news
1. Phone Call

Batman-no Bruce, just because he was wearing the batman outfit didn't mean he was batman. He was Bruce now, definitely Bruce. Why? Because Batman would never be on the verge of tears as he scanned the computer screen for the sixteenth time. Still nothing, no clues, no hints, no slip-ups, nothing. There was only one villain he couldn't track down. The Joker, you just follow the laughs and explosions. Catwoman, just follow the break-ins and complaints of-well, Cat like women. But this Villain, he was a whole new category. Batman didn't even know his name, nor what his exact crimes were. Then why was he trying so hard to track him down? Because this knew villain had his son! "I'm going to find you, Dick." Bruce growled to the air "I just need a sign, a clue, anything." He waited for a few moments, his hands poised at the keyboard like a snake ready to snap up prey, as if expecting a response. And to him utmost surprise he received one. The phone rang.

Bruce made a mad rush to get to it, excitement clawing at his belly. It was the Batcave's phone that was making the sound. Only a few members of the Justice League, all the members of the kid's Team, and Alfred had that number. And they had all been told not to call him on it unless they had information on Robin. And no one disobeyed Batman. "Hello?" he barked into the phone.

"Hello?" the voice that answered sounded small and scared. It was strangled and forced, filled with strain. The pain was evident but all in all, weak. But most importantly: it was Dick.

"Dick! Where are you? Are you okay?" Bruce's voice was filled with intense relief as it swelled his heart.

"No. Listen, I d-don't have very long. He le-let me call you one last ti-time."

"He? Whose he Dick? What do you mean?" The relief vanished instantly, replace with dreaded panic.

"He t-t-took me. He wouldn't let me leave. And n-now he's going to kill me. I'm so-s-sorry. I failed you."

"No you didn't Dick. You hear me? Now listen where are you? And I'll come save you. I promise," Bruce's voice was laced with a begging tone as he gripped the phone in a death grip. Silence was all he received on the other end of the line. No...not silence. He swore he heard low talking. But not from Dick. There was someone else with him.

"I don't know where I am," came a final answer, "B-but he said I should describe it to you," Bruce filled with rage at the thought of that...that _monster_ was coaching Dick through this. "Th-there's blood on the w-wall. It's dark and inky, like paint. Some of its fresh but there's an older layer underneath. There's a lot of it, all over the floor as well. But th-there's b-b-body part too. F-f-feet and hands and f-fingers." Bruce felt ready to throw up. Dick was _where_? He was going to find this bastered who had done this to Dick. And when he did there was going to be Hell to pay! "It's cold too. S-so cold it hurts. Like it's burning into my bones." A small sob broke free from Bruce's son.

"Dick, I'm going to find you. You hear me? Don't lose hope. I'm going to bring you home."

"It's okay, Dad. I know I c-can't go home. He w-won't let me. I'm sorry I'm not st-strong enough to get out of this. I love you. Goodbye."

"No! DICK" Bruce called but it was too late. There was a sound of a scuffle, something small being thrown against a wall of floor, and a low moan of pain. Then,

"Hello, Batman. Glad you could exchange goodbyes. I also want to add my own little note. I am Deathstroke, and Hell is coming for you. I am the person who is going to destroy your birdie, and there is nothing you can do about it. Goodbye Bruce Wayne." The call ended with a click.


	2. Romania

It was a long shot, he'd admit. But the phone call's signal had come from this area. And there was proof of a large shipment of not only guns, but also knock-out gas too. If that wasn't suspicious Batman didn't know what was.

The team stood beside him, shifting their gaze from the warehouse district, then to Batman. "It seems a bit obvious, doesn't it?" Kid Flash asked. He was the only one in the team who had the guts to do so.

Batman nodded stiffly. A warehouse. In Romania. Which was Robin's home. It was just too obvious. But he had no other option. There were no more leads. This was Batman's last chance to find his son.

"I will search for Deathstroke. Aqualad, get your team together to find Robin. If you come across Deathstroke do not engage. Contact me immediately if you find either target." Batman disappeared into the shadows dramatically, his brooding aura strong enough to be a second cloak.

"Great, so not Robin's a _target,_" Superboy scowled.

"He is just as worried about Robin as the rest of us," M'gann soothed her boyfriend. Aqualad said nothing as he brought out a holographic map that Batman had given them. He really wished that Robin was here to help him with this. But then again they wouldn't be there if he was.

"Zatanna and Superboy search this area," Aqualad said, drawing his finger around a square of buildings. "Red Arrow and Kid Flash this area. Mrs. Martian and Artemis can take this area. Then Rocket and I can take what's left." The four groups nodded, determined looks on their faces. They would rescue their youngest member, even if it killed them.


	3. Rocket and Aqualad

**Rocket and Aqualad**

Rocket and Aqualad crept down the row of warehouses, trying to keep as quiet as possible. That was easier said than done. Aqualad's bare feet felt heavy and clumsy out of water, and he was constantly stepping on sharp rocks and tripping over roots of the dirt road due to the lack of shoes. Rocket's task was much easier, with her flying and all. But even then the darkness obscured her vision and she flew into a tree or building more than once.

When they finally reached their section of warehouses, both teens held their breath as the first door was opened. Not daring to step inside, Aqualad lit up his arms to reveal…

Nothing.

No Robin. No villain. No blood. No dead bodies. No secret lair or laboratory. No shipments of weapons. Nothing.

There was an audible sigh of relief from both of them, which made surprise flit on their faces instantly, each pair of eyes meeting another understanding pair.

They weren't ready yet. They weren't ready to find their little brother. Batman had told them about the phone call. About the room, and the tortured sound of Robin's voice, and the words shared between protégé and mentor.

They were scared of what they might find.

Aqualad and Rocket continued forward, looking through each and every warehouse thoroughly. After each empty building their worry built, their panic lessened, their anger mounted, their preparedness slipped, and they began to doubt if Batman had been right after all.

But that all was put to a stop when they reached the last warehouse. It was over by the side, out of the way and a fair distance from all the other houses. When the doors were flung open and arms lit up, pure terror had filled the tiny space. Rocket let out a high pitched scream, and had fled the warehouse like a bolt of lightning.

Aqualad had stayed, drinking it up slowly. All of his senses screamed at him to run, to get away from the horrifying sight, but his legs had ceased to work. He wanted to throw up, he wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, and he wanted to do whatever else that he had simply never been able to do since becoming Aquaman's apprentice. Because seeing this was so…disgusting.

It was the room Robin had described. Everything was there; blood was splashed up and down the walls and floor like somebody had purposely gone to great lengths to place it perfectly. It was freezing too: someone had obviously set it that way purposely. Even to the Atlantian, who was used to the frigid waters of the ocean, felt the nipping cold deep in his bones. What was by far the worse though, were the body parts that littered the floor. That was the part that would scar Aqualad for life.

And even with all that, he still felt gut wrenching terror at the fact that _Robin wasn't there. _


	4. Miss Martian and Artemis

**Miss. Martian and Artemis**

Miss. Martian and Artemis moved through the warehouses like snakes, silent and deadly. Miss. Martian was telekinetically flying just below the top of the buildings, letting the small lights on the ground show her the way. Whoever had put them there had made their lives much easier. Artemis, although suspicious, found it easier to move with the lights as well. Her well trained senses on high alert, she reached the first warehouse in only a few seconds. M'gann was right behind her, yanking the door open with her Martian strength.

When they got inside, it was too dark to see anything. Just a hollow room of black. That seemed to make it all the worse. For a few seconds, the girls stared into the darkness, frozen at the thought that someone, or something, could be in there.

At last Artemis came to her senses. She went over to one of the lights planted firmly in the ground, and yanked it upward with all her strength. It gave way easily, causing her to stumble clumsily back into the building.

M'gann caught her, steadying the archer carefully before turning back around to search the warehouse. It was a large one, twice as large as the one Aqualad and Rocket were in right now (not that they knew that. The warehouse district was too large to keep the telepathic connection). Half way to the ceiling was a loft area; a slab of concrete suspended in midair by chains. A ladder leant between the wall and the upper floor, but seemed so unsteady that Miss. Martian flew Artemis and herself up instead.

Before them was a computer.

"Well….this is unexpected," Artemis muttered as she moved closer to the piece of technology. She sat on the hard wooden seat, which was positioned directly in front of the computer, and started typing. Although she wasn't as good a hacker as Robin…actually that was the problem. She had no idea what she was doing. But there had to be _something _there.

Meanwhile something next to the desk caught M'gann's eye. She moved towards it slowly, as if expecting it to explode at any moment. When the thing she was stalking came into view, the green skinned girl let out an audible sigh of relief. It was a small card bored box, filled with silver CDs. She grabbed two at random, and brought them out so that she could read the title, with the light from the computer screen. One had the date of the day Robin had disappeared and the second had the day of yesterday.

She handed them to Artemis, who had, by now, given up on the computer and was now staring hopelessly at it, hoping for its spontaneous combustion. The archer took them and quickly ejected the first into the computer. A video started to play.

_The scene before the camera screen shook slightly as someone fiddled with it from behind. The lighting grew slightly brighter, sharpening the details of the room. It was a small warehouse, the contents making Miss. Martian and Artemis cringe. It was the room that Robin had described to Batman on the phone. Artemis bit down bile, while M'gann didn't even bother and instead flew down the stairs, to retch just outside the door. When she came back, a man and a boy had arrived on screen. The boy was smirking cheekily, although the whites of his mask were narrowed slightly as if his eyes were glaring. Other than the large bruise half hidden under raven hair and the missing gloves and belt, Robin seemed fine. The girls smiled a little as their little brother spat on the man's face. Or mask. Half his face was black, and the other orange. The color scheme continued across a full body suit, complete with long knives at his waist. _

_Deathstroke pushed Robin into a wall violently, a savage, inhuman growl echoing from hidden lips. He quickly placed a set of handcuffs around Robin's ankle, and hooked the other end onto a pipe. The young hero winced, but kept his smirk set. Leaning down menacingly, the villain whispered something in Robin's ear and chuckled as the blood drained from his face. _

"_You ever went to counseling for those anger issues?" he finally said, his voice faltering only slightly._

"_That is amusing, Robin. Not that I would expect anything less."_

"_Well this is unfair. You know my name but I don't know yours."_

"_You can call me Deathstroke."_

"_You sound like a robot." Deathstroke didn't answer that. Instead he walked off screen calmly, reappearing moments later with a cup of green liquid. He placed it with deliberate slowness, directly in front of Robin. "What is this?" _

"_Poison. It will take 48 hours to kill."_

"_Ok...I'm going to need a little more information than that."_

"_It's poison that you will drink, if you refuse my request."_

"_Request?"_

"_You will become my apprentice."_

"_Nah, I'm good."_

"_Then you will drink the poison."_

"_Is there a third option?" __**Slap!**_ _Robin's face snapped painfully to the left as he let out a cry of pain. Deathstroke quickly followed up with a kick to the stomach, leaving Robin doubled over in pain. The villain moved away, his gaze never leaving Robin's face, until the video feed cut off. _

"What?" Artemis asked, blinking at the screen. M'gann shook her head, lost. Silently she inserted the other disk, and Artemis pressed play.

_There was an obvious difference in the boy on screen this time. His clothing was torn and stained with blood. Paled skin lined deep cuts and bruises. His fingers and toes (which seemed to have been freed from his shoes long ago) were blue and frostbitten. Right next to him was the cup of poison, left exactly where it had been in the first video. Robin was staring at it through masked eyes, his head resting on the wall limply. _

_As Deathstroke walked in, he wasn't acknowledged in anyway, although that did nothing to put him off. The man brushed Robin's bloody face gently, but even that made the poor boy flinch. Deathstroke mumbled something gently, and soothing, but then slapped him as hard as he could. A loud whimper came from Robin's prone figure. _

"_You can end all this," Deathstroke said matter-of-factly. He kicked Robin in the side, his ribs visually bending like paper. I slight gasp slipped from the younger and his eyes flickered drowsily underneath the mask. The girls tensed, Artemis reaching for her bow instinctively. _

"_N-never be your ap-apprentice," Robin struggled, coughing violently. _

"_Then take the poison."_

"_B-batman will co-ome."_

"_Batman thinks you're dead. He won't come. Your team won't come. You are all alone." Robin whimpered quietly as he tried to curl up on himself. Deathstroke kicked him again, growling as if annoyed. "Become my apprentice, Robin. Let it end," he whispered. Robin's mask scrunched up as if his eyes closed, and he nodded his head. _

"_It'll end," he whispered. Deathstroke smiled, backing away. _

"_Good, Robin, I'll get the key," he smiled as he disappeared off screen. As if in a daze, Robin's hands snaked across the floor to grab the cup full of poison. Shakily bringing it to his lips, he drained it in one gulp. _

**Errrr yeah I feel like I should apologize to you guys about all the panic attacks that were caused by me. I just wanted to say that at this moment in the story Robin IS ALIVE. **

**And a response to Sairey13: You see, they wanted to use Wolf to track Robin down, but Superboy didn't want Wolf getting hurt and Batman wasn't having "that god damn mutt in my jet".**

**Also, does this story need to get moved to rated M? I really don't want it to get deleted like my other story for the violence. **


	5. Kid Flash and Red Arrow

**Kid Flash and Red Arrow **

Kid Flash and Red Arrow and Robin.

Wally and Roy and Dick.

Speedster and Archer and Acrobat.

No matter how you said it, the outcome was the same; brothers. And right now, one of their brothers was missing. That was not okay. _At all._

Both brothers knew that if they ran into Deathstroke, they would of course call Batman…right_ after_ at least half an hour of beating the crap out of the villain. Just like when Kid Flash was captured by Captain Cold. He'd been in the hospital for two months after. And when Brick had stabbed Red Arrow during a patrol-gone-wrong. He'd been in a coma for a week.

This was nothing new. This had happened before, and would happen again. It was the same. They'd find Robin, alive, and their little brother would be okay after a few days. They'd rough up Deathstroke something good, and then he'd know (like all the other villains) that the brothers were _off_ _limits_ to those who didn't have a death wish. It'd be fine. It always was.

Or at least, that's what they kept telling themselves.

Kid Flash ran as fast as he could, the yellow blur of a hero looking through all of the warehouses in a matter of seconds. Red Arrow stood on the rooftop, his arrow aimed at anything that moved.

"What's taking so long, Kid?" the older growled from his vantage point.

"I'm looking as fast as I can!"

"Well then look faster."

"I-Oh…hey, Seedy, this one's locked," Kid Flash called, looking closely at the chains barring his entrance.

"It's Red Arrow. And so?"

"None of the others were." Grumbling something about useless flashes, Red Arrow climbed down from the warehouse and met Kid Flash at the doorway of a large warehouse only a few feet away from where he'd been sitting. "You think Robin could be inside?"

"Well, why else would this be the only one locked?"

"Because the owner has brains?" Red Arrow shook his head to the younger red head.

"This cluster's all owned by the same guy. See," he pointed to the sign at the start of the road, which had an insignia for some random company.

"Exactly, so Deathstroke can't be using these if they're all owned by the same company, right?"

"Unless Deathstroke _is _the company?" Red Arrow offered, smirking.

"Okay, you win. Do you think you could-" Suddenly Red Arrow raised his foot and kicked the door violently. The hinged wielded to his weight and the whole door collapsed. "-open….the….door…" Kid Flash finished pathetically. Red Arrow didn't answer, instead staring at something inside the warehouse.

"What are you- Robin!"

In front of them was a small boy, covered in blood and scratches and bruises. He was lying on the cement floor, discarded like a rag doll. His chest rose and fell with a quick, failing pace, and the color of his face was whiter then freshly fallen snow. It was their brother.

"Oh, Robin," Kid Flash whispered, rushing towards his younger brother. Halfway to the beaten boy, the speedster tripped and fell to the floor. He looked behind him to see what'd caused the fall

"It's a cup…" Red Arrow mused as he joined his fellow red head.

"There's a note in it," Kid Flash observed, pulling out the thick paper quickly. He unfolded it, and read out loud slowly;

"Dear Batman, and his little team,

I have to admit, this game was amusing. And very interesting. You should be proud of your little bird. He fought bravely. I was a little disappointed when he chose the poison instead of apprenticeship. I'm afraid I must've gone too hard on him. Do hold him a good funeral.

Deathstroke"

Without another word he rushed off to their fallen comrade, Red Arrow pocketing the paper to show Batman, along with the cup.

Kid Flash felt o his knees, scooping up Robin's head to place on his lap. "He's so cold," he murmured to the archer.

"I know," Red Arrow replied. "We need to get him out of here." Red Arrow put a hand to his com, and was met with silence. "No signal." Kid Flash cussed under his breath.

"I'll go get help, you keep him warm and breathing," Kid Flash said curtly, running outside in a blink of an eye. Red Arrow moved over to Robin's head, gently brining him to his chest in a hug.

"You're going to be okay, kid," Red Arrow murmured in his ear. "You're going to be ok."

"R-r-roy?" Robin's voice came out forced and broken. A dribble of blood came to his lips, and he coughed harshly. Red Arrow looked down at his brother, ripping the mask off to meet pain filled blue eyes.

"Robin? Oh, god, just keep breathing, ok?"

"I c-can't, Roy." A small whimper came from the small boy. "It's s-so cold." His eyes flickered as he tried to curl in on himself. "It h-hurts s-so mu-much."

"What happened? How can I help you?" He didn't know much when it came to poison. In fact, he didn't know anything.

As an answer, Robin's eyes slowly closed, and he slipped back into unconsciousness, playing on the line between life and death. "Hurry up, Kid Flash," Red Arrow growled as he tightened his hold on Robin.

**Thanks for all the reviews guys. ****J I can't believe so many people like this. **

**So, I decided to keep it at T, thanks to those who reassured me this wouldn't be deleted. Thanks again**

**REVIEW!**


	6. Running

**Kid Flash**

Kid Flash ran.

Wally West ran.

The little boy who'd met Dick only a few years ago ran.

The boy who had known Dick for years, and had become best friends with him ran.

The part of him who knew that Dick's life hung in the balance ran.

And the part of him who was still in denial about it ran.

Kid Flash ran.

He sped as quickly as he could to the warehouse block only a mile away. It took him three seconds to get to Superboy and Zatanna. He'd beat any record that had ever been recorded, and yet he still knew that he could've taken three seconds too long.

"Robin'sintrouble,wedon'treallyknowwhat'swrongwithhimbutitsreallybad andoutcomlinksaredownRoy'swithrRobnowsoweneed-"

"Woah, slow down Kid Flash, we can't understand," Zatanna told him. Her face had paled greatly, having only caught the 'Robin's in trouble' part.

"I understood him," Superboy informed them, taking charge of the situation. His bright blue eyes were serious and grave, which only served to scare Zatanna more. "Zatanna, go and get Batman. Me and Kid Flash will go to Robin."

"What about the com-"

"There's no signal. Tell him we're in quadrant four." The magician nodded, and turned to head off, but then turned back suddenly as if in afterthought.

"Take care of him," she mumbled. They both knew that her heart lay with Robin, and sympathy was felt. But they had no time for heartbreak.

"Go," Kid Flash ordered, surprisingly firm. Zatanna nodded a second time, and went off to search for Batman. The two other Meta humans took off; one running and the other jumping. Stealth was no longer and priority.

**Zatanna**

_What's wrong with him?_

Zatanna was running as fast as she could, and chanting a tracking spell all the while. Sadly she couldn't exactly remember how to keep it going, so she was traveling but by bit towards the Dark Knight. Every slow step caused her to flinch. Every slow step was a step closer towards Robin's demise. She understood that much from Kid Flash's rush of words.

_What did Deathstroke do?_

The worry and tension that'd been building up inside her since they'd hear of Robin's disappearance was at full blast. She felt like she was going to explode. She just wanted Robin home and safe and unhurt. But she didn't seem to have a spell for that.

_Will he be all right?_

She'd finally found him; the Dark Knight, the Vigilante, the Batman. And he was covered in blood, with a limp Deathstroke at his feet.

_Will he die?_

**Reveiw! Oh and should I make this story Birdflash, Chalant, or nothing?**


	7. Poison

**Superboy and Kid Flash**

"So how did you understand me?" Kid Flash asked. Superboy and him were rushing as fast as they could towards Robin and Red Arrow. But still, to them, it was nowhere near fast enough.

"Superman's clone, remember?"

"Like I could forget," he snorted. "But I thought you didn't have super speed yet?"

"I don't. But I could still follow you. I don't know…I might as well ask Luthor about it." Kid Flash raised an eyebrow. "Not that I see him anymore. I meant…never mind."

"If I wasn't so worried about Rob, I'd be suspicious."

"You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"And bring up the whole mole thing again? No way."

"Tha- Look out!" Kid Flash, who'd been facing Superboy, snapped his head forward. But it was too late. He collided with Artemis, both of them tumbling to the ground awkwardly.

"Wally!?" Artemis snapped. Mss. Martian hovered above the two of them, concern eatched on her green pallor.

"Are you guys ok?"

"Oh, hey Artemis," Kid Flash smirked as he jumped up, helping the archer to her feet. "Sure am, Babe."

"We found Robin," Superboy announced, bringing them all back to the task at hand. The girl's eyes widened.

"He's alive?" M'gann squealed.

"Thank goodness! After we saw the tapes-" Artemis began, but was interrupted by an anxious looking Kid Flash.

"Tapes?" Artemis's expression turned serious, her eyes darkly peering out of her mask at them. With a slow hand she pulled out the two black boxes from her quiver, and handed them to the speedster.

"Robin's been poisoned. It's all on there. It takes 48 hours to kill you. He took it yesterday-"

"He has until tomorrow…" Superboy interrupted, his bushy brows knitting together. "Let's go. Now." Kid Flash swept Artemis off of her feet, and started running with Superboy and M'gann close behind.

**I've decided to make it as little romance as possible. But there will be lots of brotherly stuff and the ever amusing Daddybats! There may be little hints at slight one sided- chalant, but so far I haven't planned any. Thanks for voting guys. (It's good to see there are still Birdflash shippers. It's decreased so much since Invasion. **

**Review!**


	8. Batman VS Deathstroke

**Batman vs. Deathstroke**

**Two hours before**

The night suited Batman well. He could travel through it like a fish travels through water. He could remain unnoticed and hidden from his enemies. He had an advantage in the darkness.

But it didn't feel like that this time. Not at all. All he could feel was vulnerability and worry and anger. Because without Robin, without Dick, he was only have the hero he usually was. Probably not even that. He couldn't live without Dick.

That was the truth; plain and simple.

The Dark Knight stood on top of a warehouse, his senses heightened. He'd seen Kid Flash pass with Red Arrow only a few moments before, and Superboy and Zatanna had just disappeared into one of their last warehouses. Now it was his turn.

Falling through the air, he landed like a cat, before slipping away. He'd marked the warehouses that had more of a chance of hiding Deathstroke or Robin. He would save his son.

**One hour before**

Finally Batman came to the last warehouse; a stout building that crouched close to the ground and stretched out like a tiger about to pounce. Inside shadows flickered unevenly and a small clicking noise could be heard. Someone was inside.

Batman took off, flying around the building to check for backdoors and windows, which he would wedge shut with a few well-placed bat-a-rangs.

All the while he felt the empty space beside him, where Robin should've been. And with that thought in mind, he forced the door open violently, silently praying that there were no backdoors he had overlooked.

"Batman, I've been waiting for you." So much for the element of surprise…

"Deathstroke," Batman greeted the tall man, who stood in the center of the room with hands folded behind him in a relaxed pose. His skin was all covered in a black and orange suit, complete with a full mask that covered his evil face.

"You sound angry. You should be grateful," Deathstroke told Batman matter-of-factly, still keeping up his relaxed pose.

"For what?" the hero growled like a savage dog.

"Well, most of us would've killed your brat straight away, but I gave him a choice."

"What did you do to my son?"

"Nothing. He did it to himself." Batman rushed forward and slammed into Deathstroke into a wall. The villains stinky breath snuck under his cowl as he leant forward, eyes narrowed behind the mask.

"What. Did. You. Do. To. My. Son?" Batman repeated through gritted teeth.

"Dead." Deathstroke spoke the word so simply, it was as if he was talking about the weather.

"Liar!" Batman screeched like a hurt bird, thrusting Deathstroke into the wall again. The villain kicked his knee forward and pushed Batman away from him. As Batman recovered, Deathstroke leapt from the wall and aimed another kick to the heroes head.

It was blocked by an arm, and a fist came hurtling towards the attackers face. But the mask was made of harder material then Batman had thought, and his fist bounced off. Deathstroke charged Batman, their positions reversed as Deathsroke trapped him against the wall.

Deathstroke's fists came down again and again! Blood dripped from Batman's torn cowl, and even splattered across the walls. It wasn't long before the hero was slumping in Deathstroke's grip, strength gone.

"Finished so soon, Batman?" Deathstroke asked, "Even your son held out for longer." He turned away as if to walk out.

_Son... Robin….Dick…Murdered…Deathstroke will pay!_ Batman stayed down, but leant forward on his legs, getting ready to pounce once again.

"In fact, I'm disappointed in both of you. I seemed to have overestimated the dynamic duo," Deathstroke went on, oblivious to his enemy's new motivation and how he was empowering it. Batman silently rose. "But don't worry; the bomb will end your suffering soon."

_Wait, what? Bomb? I have to go, now! _Batman lunged forward, taking Deathstroke in two hands and twisted the villain around so that the uncovered part of his head face the wall. _**Slam! **_Deathstroke hit the wall, and fell to the floor in a crumpled heap with blood pooling from his head. Batman almost smiled at the sight.

"Batman?" The called twisted around at the sound of his name, to find Zatanna in the doorway with wide eyes.

"Zatanna." On the inside, Batman was panicking. Deathstroke had mentioned a bomb. Meaning that the warehouse was going to explode. Meaning he had to get out of the way very soon. Meaning he couldn't save both Deathstroke and Zatanna from the explosion. He would have to choose. "Get out. There's a bomb." Without waiting for a reply, Batman grabbed Zatanna and pulled her outside. They'd just come out of harm's way when the building exploded.

The choice had been easy.

"Robin's dead," Batman whispered to the girl, who was shielding herself behind his cloak from the flames.

"No, not yet. Red Arrow and Kid Flash found him. That's why I came to get you."

_Not dead? Alive…Robin...I'm coming._

**Sorry for the long wait guys. I went on vacation and there's no internet or time. But I found an internet café with Wi-Fi so I'll try to find the time for uploading. **

**Daddybats will be very soon! Just one more chapter. I know you guys are looking forward to it. And I can't wait to write it. **

**Also another vote; what villain do you guys want to see next now that Deathstroke is dead? You can vote for any, although I'm leaning towards either Scarecrow, Joker, Poison Ivy, or all of them together. So VOTE and REVIEW! **


	9. Luthor's Scheme

**Mr. Justice**

"His heart rates going up."

"Blood pressure's fluctuating."

"Flash, get some bandages on this wound, it's still bleeding."

"Which one?"

"…All of them."

"Superman, let's get him on oxygen."

"Be careful, there's a huge bruise."

"What happened to the kid, Batman?"

"Later. For now get him stable. I need a blood sample."

"For what?"

"To test for what poison Deathstroke's given him."

Superboy sighed, looking down at the floor. The unsteady beat of Robin's heart had been drowned out by Flash, Superman, and Batman. He slammed his hands over his ears, causing Mss. Martian and Zatanna to jump.

The team was all sitting in the living room with Billy, in their civilian clothes. On the floor was lying Rocket, whose face was blank and unseeing. Aqualad sat next to her, with a look of extreme guilt plastered like a mask. Wally and Artemis sat together on one of the couches; both frozen in complete horror. Zatanna sat on the couch in tears, with M'gann, who was also in tears, comforting her. Billy looked tortured, his eyes constantly twitching towards the doors as if expecting Robin to pop up; all better and safe. Superboy wished it was that easy. What they needed was the antidote. Or to know the poison. What they needed was the help…

"I'm taking Sphere and Wolf for a walk," Superboy announced, standing up. He half expected Billy or M'gann to follow him, but both remained huddled on the floor. He went out, shrugging.

The clone found himself taking the long way through the mountain, past the hospital wing. He walked through a long hallway, where a large window was set in the wall. On the other side was Robin, lying prone on a white bed. Different machines were hooked up to the small, bandage covered teen, beeping and whirring. Superboy made fists and fought the erg to break the glass between his and his little brother. Slowly his hands relaxed and his head came down to stare at the faded red carpet underneath his feet. Something clicked in his head, and like a robot, the clone walked out of the mountain. He was going to help Robin.

**Lex Towers**

To say that Luthor's office was huge was an understatement. The room was bigger than the kitchen, living room, Superboy's room, and M'gann's room combined. And despite the obvious attempts to keep the room up to date and plush, it was overall very dry in color and taste. The carpet was grey and the walls that weren't covered in windows were black. There was a small red sofa in the corner that held the only source of color. A large desk; thick and wooden, was decorated with piles of paperwork that obviously had never been touched. Around the desk, a group of chairs stood at attention in front of a large cushy black one. And sitting in it, as cool as an ice cube, was Lex Luthor.

"I wasn't expecting you here so soon, Superboy," Luthor greeted, gesturing for the raven haired boy to take a seat. Superboy did what he was told, his movements stiffly loyal. Contrast to his words, the millionaire looked completely unsurprised. "Don't we usually meet a bit later?"

"Robin's been poisoned. I need your help."

"Poisoned? How…dramatic." Superboy's hands clutched his chair in anger. How could his 'father' speak like that about Robin? The poor piece of metal snapped in two and leavening the Kryptonion on the floor. Luthor only blinked.

"Please?" Superboy asked, picking himself off of the floor. "Robin could die at any second…"

"Oh don't worry. With the amount I gave Deathstroke, Robin still has a day's worth left of agony, maximum. Until this afternoon, minimum."

"You gave Deathstroke the poison?" Luthor nodded. Superboy wasn't really sure how it happened. One moment he was standing before Luthor in horror, and the next he had his hands around Luthor's throat. The older man's feet were a foot above the floor and the black seat was still swirling in squeaky circles. "Why did you do that?"

"Let's see, why would I want to kill the most highly trained sidekick, who's thwarted almost every villain's plans at least twice?" Superboy's hands tightened his gaze flashing red.

"Give me the antidote, or I'll snap your neck."

"Snap my neck and the little bird will die." At that, realization seemed to dawn on Superboy. Slowly, and gradually, he let go of his enemy. "Better," Luthor said, straightening their suit. "Now, can we speak like civilized men?"

"No games. What do you want?"

"Right down to business. I like it. Let's see, you remember The Fog at Wayne Tech? The one Dr. Ruquette made?"

"Robin stopped them before they could do any damage," Superboy recalled. It'd been Artemis's first mission, and he and Robin had been paired up to go to Wayne Tech. Not that he'd been much help on that mission.

"Yes, but they're still in the system. All I want you to do is put in this chip," Luthor began, handing Superboy a small black chip. "Download it into the system, and then The Fog will download all of the money from Wayne Industries into my bank account. Untraceable and easy. I'm pretty sure even you can handle it." Superboy was speechless. Luthor wanted money for Robin's life? Money? Wasn't he rich…Besides, Superboy couldn't steal for him.

But if he didn't…Robin would die.

"Ok, I'll do it."

"That's my boy."

**I'm sorry it's been so long. The internet at the place I was living at for vacation went down for the last week. And then I had school which is terrible. So I had no time. I'll try to update as much as I can but I can't promise anything more than once a week. The votes are in, but I can't tell you who won. But I'll tell you this; there will be an epic battle!**

**I don't know if I should kill Robin or not…so VOTE ON DEATH OR LIFE! **

**Review!**


	10. Bruce's love Aka Dick's pain

**Mt. Justice**

Pain. Pain was everywhere. He couldn't get away from it. No matter how much he ran or cried or fought that pain just kept at it. Stabbing, burning, freezing, and aching. It all hurt so much.

Something vaguely told Robin it was his own fault. That he should've fought harder. That he should've been tougher. He should've been stronger. It was his fault. But in all honesty, the young sidekick couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

He found his mind wandering away from his body.

_Dick was spinning and tumbling through the air. He'd wait until the last second to grab the next trapeze. The crowd would gasp. His cousin's beaming smile would hit him, and he's put his hands out to be grabbed. The crowd would cheer. The two youngsters of their family would kick and tumble and spin, as if fighting. The crowd would laugh. One would almost fall, the other their savior. The crowd would scream and 'awww' at them. The two would smile._

Drifting higher and higher into the air.

_Dick sat on the platform, watching his family perform. The child smiled wishfully as they flipped with grace and style. In only a few more years he'd join them, he would perform their terrifying stunt without the net. He'd be as great as they were. _

_But it wasn't to be. _

_Suddenly they were all falling. Spinning and tumbling and flipping in all the wrong ways. One hit the ground. __Crack__! The others followed. __Crack! Crack!__ His parents were the last to go, eyes wide with terror. But not for their fate. For his. Dick reached out to grab at his their hands, but knew it was far too late. They hit the ground. __Crack! Crack!_

_They were gone._

Detached from the world, from his body.

"_Hello Richard," a warm voice greeted. The raven haired child poked his head out of a thick blanket, baby blue eyes far, far away. The speaker's face twisted with some strange emotion. It wasn't sickly sweet pity, or strained sympathy, or screeching annoyance at his burden. It was understanding and sadness. "I'm Bruce Wayne."_

"_Hi Mr. Wayne. You can call me Dick," Dick answered, wincing. He was Dick. His uncle had been Richard. To have it any other way…._

"_Ok, only if you call me Bruce. Mr. Wayne was my father." Bruce understood that too._

"_Ok Bruce." _

"_Hey Dick, how would you like to come home with me?"_

He was flying.

The pain was lessoning every second. But not like he was getting better. More like he just couldn't feel it anymore. It's gnarled, clawed hands couldn't reach him.

It was nice up here. Everything was peaceful and calm and he didn't have to think or feel. Something tugged at him. A voice whispered to him to let go. He couldn't think of a reason not to follow it.

"**Dick."**

What was that?

"**Dickie bird, can you hear me?"**

It sounded like Bruce. But when had Bruce ever sounded that sad.

"**Come on Dick, please, blink, squeeze my hand, do anything."**

Dick tried to do as was told, tried to blink and squeeze his father's hand and do anything else. But he couldn't even find his body.

"**Please Dickie just stay with me."**

He would do that. He'd stay. Just for a little while longer.

"**I need my little Robin."**

And Robin needed his Bat.

**Mt. Justice**

Dick looked so small and helpless. Bruce couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before now.

The young hero was hooked up to dozens of machines and wires. Hi skin was a starch white that was lost amid the white sheets and blankets. The only touch of color was long raven locks, damp after being freshly washed of blood and-

_No, don't think of that. Don't think about it._

But no matter how much Bruce tried not to think about it, there was no use on avoiding the truth.

Dick was sick.

Dick wasn't going to make it through this one.

Dick would die.

And it was all Bruce's fault.

"Dick," Bruce began with his voice hoarse from shouting at Flash and Superman during surgery. The millionaire stopped himself, not sure what to say. How could he beg his son not to leave him, to tell him how sorry he was, when Dick couldn't even hear him.

"Dick can you hear me?"

There was, of course, no answer.

"Come on Dick, please, blink, squeeze my hand, do anything."

Nothing again. Dick's eyes did not even flutter. The cold, pale hand incased in Bruce's own thick warm ones didn't twitch. Dick didn't move.

"Please Dickie just stay with me."

Bruce found himself begging, whimpering. He couldn't go through with this again. No father should have to bury his own son.

"I need my little Robin."

Bruce couldn't live without Dick.

**The votes are in, but I can't tell you who won. (Looking at the reviews won't tell you anything, I got more votes from outside sources because I am evil!) But the story will start to move along much more quicker after this. I just wanted to give you guys your favorite Daddybats!**


	11. Breaking News

**Mt. Justice**

Superboy stood by the doorway, watching his team with an array of emotions flickering in his eyes like fire.

Grief stood out among them; grief for the crimes he was about to commit. Grief for Robin, who was lying at death's door at that very moment. And grief for what he was about to destroy.

Anger was fierce among grief, brighter and stronger than anything else. He felt like the newly released clone again; unrestrained and brimming with lack of control. He wished he could bring himself to punch something, but that'd require letting the team know he was back. That would require the questions a starting.

Behind the grief and anger, like a frozen pool, was utter sadness. The reality of this situation was taking hold. He was, in fact, feeling a little dizzy at that moment, having to take hold of the doorway to remind steady. _I have to steal. I have to steal from an honest, good- well…a decent man at least. But it'd wrong and-….And Robin will die if I don't. If Mr. Wayne knew this then I'm sure he wouldn't mind…as much…_

Superboy didn't have time to think though. Every second that passed could be Robin's last. If Robin was willing to fight against all that torture for so long, then he was willing to fight against his morals for one mission.

Now there was only one question: would the team agree with him?

**Mt. Justice**

Superboy stood in the middle of the room. Nine pairs of eyes were fixed on him carefully, the intensitiy of it sending the clone's feet shuffling across the floor. After a moment of preparation he explained to them all that had happened. How he was secretly meeting Lex Luthor for more advice and a few patches every now and again. How it'd been his 'father' who was responsible for the poison. And what he'd been tasked to do to save Robin.

Silence greeted Superboy when he finished his speech.

Silence that held grief.

Silence that held anger.

Silence that held sadness.

And silence that help just the tiniest shred of hope.

It was Kid Flash who rose first from his sitting position, arms crossed and an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "Let's do it," he said simply, coming to stand next to the clone.

Red Arrow was the next to rise, coming to quickly stand next to the speedster, no questions asked.

Artemis and Zatanna stood up together, the two friends standing next to each other on the kryptonion's other side. "No one messes with our little brother," the blonde archer muttered, mostly to herself. The magician nodded furiously, brows knitted together in obvious discontent.

M'gann had risen just as Artemis and Zatanna had taken their places. She'd thought it over and really there was no other choice. What was she to do? Let Robin die? No. Never. So she took her place silently besides the older archer.

Rocket stared at the row of heroes, her eyebrows shooting up. She barely knew the kid, having only been part of the team for a month or so. And this went against everything she believed in as a sidekick. But he was also part of their team, the very first sidekick, and the bravest kid she knew. Letting him die would make her as criminal as Slade. So she took her place besides the magician.

Captain Marvel- Billy had shouted those magic words some time ago- claimed his position next to the Martian, his demi-god form grinning with renewed hope and the prospect of another mission; he didn't fully comprehend what was happening but that didn't matter.

So it came to the last member of their team: Aqualad. Their leader. Their light in a pool of darkness. Their calm amid the madness. The Atlantian watched them carefully, as if waiting for one of them to back out or leave. No one moved a muscle. They stared back at him instead, waiting for him to object. But it never came. Instead he stood up to face them and said, with the smallest of smiles on his face, "Just like that? We're a team on a mission?"

"All for one and one for all right?" Kid Flash asked with a sense of his old humor back.

**Mt. Justice**

Zatanna would stay. She'd made doubles of them to take their place; all sitting in the living room; frozen in their grief. Not even Batman would be able to find a reason to disrupt the "team".

Rocket would stay too. Someone had to help Zatanna with the hard questions. Plus she knew that her belt was easily traceable with its alien technology. If they were found out then she'd be putting the entire mission at risk. She'd be putting Robin at risk.

Billy would stay. The league's calls were frequent and unplanned. At any moment he might be called away. They refused to risk it.

Red Arrow had been convinced to stay. After hours of arguing he'd agreed. He was needed at the cave. He had certain things to look into. Like Wayne Tech. Also there were two certain people who were aggravating him: Slade being one and Lex Luthor being the other. No one took his brother and got away with it. Even dead guys.

As the rest of them: Kid Flash, Aqualad, Superboy, M'gann, and Artemis all rose to take their leave it hit Superboy with a jolt that their old team was suddenly forming again. They had come together, like they'd come together before, to save their teammate. And it was then that Superboy silently vowed that they would _all_ be a team again. No man left behind.

**Sorry this took so long. I have so much homework! You wouldn't believe it. I'm trying the best I can but updates will be slow. Next chapter will have Robin in it again! And then the team the one after. I'll continue to switch back and forth. Hopefully I'll update sooner. Sorry for the wait. **


	12. BOOM

**Boom!**

"What the hell?" Artemis screamed, clutching her seat. "M'gann? What was that?"

"I don't know. I think someone's attacking the ship."

"What do you mean _attacking_?"

"I mean, someone's throwing bombs at us Artemis!"

**Boom!**

The whole ship shook, convulsing in midair. The archer nearly screamed as they started plummeting, her heart in her mouth.

"M'gann," Aqualad warned, almost like he was afraid she hadn't noticed their sudden decline in altitude.

"I'm working on it," the Martian muttered. She bit her lip, eyes closed in concentration.

And then they were flying again.

"Well…that was close." Kid Flash had fared less fortunately then Artemis when the bomb had exploded, and he was now halfway across the ship. Jumping up, he groaned and rubbed his head.

"No shit," Artemis spat, unsympathetic towards the bruises. He could've been thrown across the Grand Canyon for all she cared. He was still annoying.

"I-"

**Boom!**

Ms. Martian yelped in agony as her ship trembled and swerved.

"They're not giving up very easily," Kid Flash chuckled.

"Are you _enjoying_ this?" Artemis screeched. Another bomb went off and the ship almost flipped over as it curved around the fireball. No other planes or jets were visible in the sky. So either they were being attacked from the ground, or there was an invisible aircraft just next to them. In the superhero world, either was plausible. "Why aren't they giving up?"

"Because we're not dead yet." The speedster's words shut her right up.

"Aqualad," Ms. Martian yelled, "She can't keep this up much longer." Right on cue, the ship tipped forward, darting downwards, before leveling again.

**Boom!**

"What do we do?" Superboy spoke up for the first time. His eyes were steady, unnervingly calm, and he was staring right at their leader.

The Atlantian said nothing. He was lost.

"Aqualad. What do we do?" Superboy repeated.

Aqualad uttered a single word, staring down at his feet.

"What?" Artemis, M'gann, and Kid Flash said at the same time. Surely they had misheard him. Surely he meant something else. Surely he was not telling them to _land_.

"You heard me." His cool grey eyes hardened, and he turned directly to Ms. Martian. There was no hesitation as he repeated his orders. They could not afford the time if the Martian ship was destroyed. "Land the ship. If they want us, they'll have us."

* * *

><p><strong>I know that was way too long a wait. I will definitely try to continue this story. Everything is planned out and updates will be often. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story for so long<strong>

**Reviews**** are appreciated and fuel the brain juice :D**


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